We Got Slushed!

Happy Tuesday!

Warning all of you, I'm typing on the most ghetto keyboard on the face of this planet so this email won't be as long as usual because I have to press the space bar super hard multiple times to get it to work. So this week has probably been the hardest week out of the entire mission for multiple reasons, one of them being that Sister J. and I were the most obedient this entire week (factoring in love, of course) and this was the week where appointments fell through.

I failed to mention this in my last email but as Sister J. and I were calling all of our ward members on our first snow day, we asked them if there was anything we could do for them.  Many asked for prayers for their health.  Sister J. and I both prayed for each specific person that night and those prayers were answered!  The following week those members came up to us asking, “You prayed for us, didn’t you?”  They each explained in various ways on how they had faith in our immense faith which allowed them to be healed.  My faith grew so much stronger because of that! At least three of them expressed their gratitude which made me love and respect them even more. 

Last Tuesday the mission wanted to prepare for the ice storm so they had transfers on Tuesday. We got a call early that morning asking 1) if we had bunk beds and 2) if we had a car. (Yes and no.) Sister J. and I managed to borrow the other sister’s car because we now have two new roommates! Sister H. and Sister E. who are fresh from the MTC. It was crazy trying to ration our food since we didn't know we were feeding 4 on Monday! None of us know how long they are going to be staying with us because they are opening up a new area and the apartment coordinators haven't been successful in finding them an apartment yet. Tuesday night we had a mission wide conference call saying that if we needed to go to the store in preparation for the ice storm that we're allowed to do so because our power, heat, and water may stop working. So we filled up so many containers of water it was hilarious! Thankfully, we didn't need to worry because everything was fine.

Our impressive water storage.  Hey it's a start!

There was an ice storm on Wednesday and Thursday.  All we did those days was study and walk around in the freezing rain or snow, trying to get in contact with less actives that lived in our area. We were five minutes out of our apartment one of those days and this huge truck gets right next to us and sprays us with dirty slush! The truck came around again (they were doing donuts in a parking lot) and this little kid says, "Hahaha, you wet?" and drives off. We were so upset! It doused us from our hats, hair, coats, skirts, and boots. A stranger came up to us, brushing Sister J. off saying how uncool that was and that he was sorry. We continued along our way and dropped off post it notes at less active's doors. It was so cool! Everything was literally frozen! We took some pictures and hopefully if I have enough time I'll be able to send some. Since my boots are torn up from the earlier horrible weather (and I can’t find any more boots in my size) my feet were soaked Wednesday. On Thursday, Sister W. from my district suggested that I should wear plastic bags on my feet. I did so, and boy did it work! I laughed the entire time but my feet were so warm compared to Sister J’s!

A Frozen Wonderland!

We met with K. this week, and we were able to teach him about baptism. We've been teaching him since July, and he already has a testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. The problem with him is that his parents are bed-ridden, his older daughter has seizures (and she has 4 kids), and he has to take care of them all. He's never been to church which is an issue. He wants to get baptized but doesn't know when. But K.  has to come to church at least two times beforehand.

M. dropped us on Saturday, which is another reason why this week was so hard on me. (M. is the one who went back to her abusive boyfriend) I have never really been dropped by someone who I taught from the very beginning. She texted us saying we were the sweetest girls she's ever met, but the King James version and the Book of Mormon contradict too much so she doesn't want to meet with us again. We texted her back thanking her for expressing her concerns, and asking if we could meet with her one last time so we could hopefully clarify some things. She never responded to us and I was so upset, I started to cry as I prayed for her as a companionship. We're just going to wait it out and pray that something comes from it.

We also almost got dropped from another investigator N.. (N. and her boyfriend B. are the couple who lives in their car.)  She believes most of it, but she opened up to us saying that she loves her last church. Due to her boyfriend, B.,  she was shunned from that church because they didn't like him, and those were her friends and family. She switched it from a, "I'm never going to love another church" to a "I don't know when I'll be baptized, but I know as long as I'm going to the activities it'll happen in the future." So that lesson was a miracle in itself!

On Sunday, I had the privilege to speak in Sacrament Meeting on service and missionary work. I really couldn't tell you on what I said, but apparently from the comments people told me, it was- "Perfect, bold, a talk from a real leader, inspiring" and so on. I really wish I had known what I said! I just prayed that the spirit would guide me on what to say, and the spirit delivered! R. (the homeless man that now lives in a shelter) brought a friend to church and stayed the whole three hours. They talked about The Plan of Salvation in Sunday School, and that was the lesson we were going to teach him next, and they loved it. We don't have a follow up appointment yet, but we know it'll happen.

Sister B. was unable to come to church on Sunday since she got sick Friday night or Saturday morning. We were planning on having an amazing lesson with her Saturday afternoon stating our purpose as missionaries, and being bold on addressing her concerns when it comes to her Baptist family believing that Mormons are cults if they tell people to stop drinking coffee. Due to her sickness, we were unable to do so, but thankfully we're going to see her tomorrow to hopefully get her to really take a baptismal date seriously.

Even though this was a hard week, as we were able to email today, Sister J. and I realized that we had received an email from A. –D.R’s sister-in law.  D.R. is the one we had dinner with last week who was asking all those antagonizing questions but we were finally able to bring the Spirit to our discussion as we bore our testimonies about why we decided to serve missions. She included in her email this comment:
  

:"Sometimes I feel like he just wants to argue why he no longer follows the teachings of the gospel but then I see him actually reading the Book of Mormon and reaching out to you as missionaries. I think the best thing to do is follow the spirit. Heavenly Father loves him and M. and their son. He knows what will soften D.'s heart and help him back to activity and help him build an eternal family. Sisters, you are awesome. Thank you for all your service especially with his family"

D.R., is reading the Book of Mormon? I am so excited! Sister J. and I are going to call him this week to see how he survived the ice storm, and if he has any more questions for us since we gave him the Plan of Salvation lesson. I expect great things from this family!"

Although I know that this week was a hard week, I know that it's over and done with. A new week has arrived, and Sister J. and I will just brush it off, and move forward. I was reading the November Ensign (I think) and I saw a quote from President Monson that said, "Will I falter, or will I finish?" I don't want to falter today, I want to finish this mission strong. I don't want to falter this week, I want to finish it proudly. Take it hour by hour, day by day, and anyone can make it through a hard week. I hope everyone had an amazing Valentine's Day, and a lovely President's Day!

I love you, have a great week!

-Sister Sudweeks